Exclusive: Israeli officials are attacking on several fronts against
people who support the BDS movement as a nonviolent way to pressure
Israel to respect Palestinian human rights, writes Marjorie Cohn.

ERIC ZUESSE: If they’re both propaganda, then which was more honest,
more news that was really worth covering? Both were about foreign
affairs, but which was more important, more worthy of being included in
an evening’s news-cast?

The Iraq War started 14 years ago this month, and it is showing no signs
of letting up. Since President Trump took office, the U.S. military has
expanded its aerial bombing campaign
targeting areas held by the Islamic State. The Air Force Times is
reporting U.S.-backed military aircraft have dropped over 2,000 bombs on
the ISIS-held city of Mosul so far this month. According to Airwars,
almost 1,500 civilians have reportedly been killed in U.S. airstrikes in
Iraq and Syria this month alone. On March 17, a U.S. airstrike in Mosul
reportedly killed up to 200 civilians. Meanwhile, Amnesty International
is reporting that hundreds of Iraqi civilians have been killed by
U.S.-led airstrikes inside their homes or in places where they sought
refuge following Iraqi government advice not to leave during the
offensive to recapture the city of Mosul. We speak to Donatella Rovera,
senior crisis response adviser at Amnesty International.

Journalist Iona Craig: "The civilians that I spoke to when I went to the
village had exactly that same question: Why? Why did the Trump
administration choose to carry out this raid? For what reasons? And what
are they going to do about it now?"

This is the crux of the ban treaty. It is being negotiated on the basis
of courage and hope, rather than fear and inequality. It is an act of
states and civil society coming together
to stand up to power and violence and say, enough, we are going to
craft a different world, whether you like it or not.

When
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange disclosed earlier this month that his
anti-secrecy group had obtained CIA tools for hacking into technology
products made by U.S. companies, security engineers at Cisco Systems (CSCO.O) swung into action. The
Wikileaks documents described how the Central Intelligence Agency had
learned more than a year ago how to exploit flaws in Cisco's widely used
Internet switches, which direct electronic traffic, to enable
eavesdropping.

Senior Cisco
managers immediately reassigned staff from other projects to figure out
how the CIA hacking tricks worked, so they could help customers patch
their systems and prevent criminal hackers or spies from using the same
methods, three employees told Reuters on condition of anonymity.

The
Cisco engineers worked around the clock for days to analyze the means
of attack, create fixes, and craft a stopgap warning about a security
risk affecting more than 300 different products, said the employees, who
had direct knowledge of the effort.

Geoengineering is not a myth - it is reality. To what extent is it happening? We don't know.

California funds small prop planes to spray silver iodide over the Sierras
to remedy the drought. However, The Guardian reported on a company that
sprays silver iodide to guarantee rain-free weather for outdoor
weddings. The argument is no longer whether it is real, but whether it
is good or bad.

The RAND Corporation’s recent piece titled, “Al Qaeda in Syria Can
Change Its Name, but Not Its Stripes,” all but admits what was already
suspected about designated terrorist
groups operating in Syria – that they are undergoing a transition in an
attempt by their state sponsors to bolster their legitimacy and spare
them from liquidation amid the shifting tides on the battlefield.

I
am glad to see I'm not the only one perturbed by Noam Chomsky's recent
interview in which he warns that Donald Trump could engineer a
false-flag terror attack to change the political environment in the US to bolster his powers and allow for greater repression.

Chomsky has been one of the most prominent disparagers of those
attempting to investigate whether either the 9/11 attacks were a
false-flag operation or the Bush administration effectively allowed the
attack to be carried out to advance its interests at home and abroad.

One doesn't need to be convinced that Bush-Cheney or the US security
services were implicated in 9/11 to see that there is a deep problem
with Chomsky adopting his new position. He has previously suggested in
different places both that a major false-flag operation in the US would
be almost impossible to conceal and that it is a waste of the left's
energies, and its credibility, to indulge in this kind of speculation.

That was at least a plausible position for him to adopt. But it is
entirely inconsistent with his new position that we should expect Trump
to carry out a false-flag operation and even accuse him of intending to
do so before it occurs.

US congressman supports Catalonia’s right for self-determination

CNA

Washington DC (CNA).- Catalonia’s
pro-independence aspirations and the Spanish Government’s refusal to
enter into dialogue are also gathering interest in the US. During his
official trip to the United States, Catalan President, Carles
Puigedmont, met with several US Congressmen on the East Coast to discuss
the current deadlock between Catalonia and Spain and found not only
comprehension but support. “The right to self-determination is essential
for us; my family had to run away from a country in which this right
didn’t exist,” said Carlos Culbero, Republican representative for
Florida and originally from Cuba. Although he refused to “impose
anything or interfere in other countries’ politics”, Culbero called for
dialogue as the only way to “tackle differences and reach common
agreements” in a democratic context. Culbero made these statements this
Tuesday right after meeting with Puigdemont in Washington DC. Earlier
this week, the Catalan President addressed the Center for European
Studies (CES) at the Harvard Kennedy School and gave the conference
‘Catalonia, Today and Tomorrow’, his analysis of Catalonia’s current
political situation and its place within the EU.

“I call for dialogue. It is fundamental in all countries in the
world and this is what all governments do,” said Culbero and added that
“Spain had previously called for dialogue abroad to solve problems,
tackle differences and try to reach common agreements.” Culbero said
this was his wish “for Catalonia and Spain and for all the parts in the
world which may be facing similar conflicts”.

A meeting of the US-led anti-Islamic State coalition of 68 countries –
the first meeting of the coalition since Donald Trump was elected US
President – was held in Washington last week. It was announced that the
US policy’s goal is creating «interim zones of stability». The proposal
represents a significant policy reversal from the previous
administration, which tried to avoid drawing the country into another
war.

Amid the frenzy over the Trump team’s talks with Russians, are we
missing a darker story, how the Deep State’s surveillance powers control
the nation’s leaders, ask U.S. intelligence veterans Ray McGovern and
Bill Binney.

"(...) There is another fundamental problem, and that is the false sense
of security engendered by the belief that the US and her allies are
protected by an impenetrable ABM shield. It is a dangerous perception
that is likely to lead to military doctrines that could will have
catastrophic consequences. Circumventing the concept of MAD, thanks to
ABM defense, remains a dream for any
nuclear power. But actively pursuing this strategy, while at the same
time threatening a nuclear power in the hope of shielding one’s
territory from a nuclear exchange, seems like a suicidal strategy rather
than a well-considered military doctrine. Increasingly, the idea of a
perfectly working ABM system capable of intercepting an ICBM is
spreading in the US military, thanks to think-tanks funded by the same
manufacturers of these systems. There could probably be no more a deadly
and mistaken belief."

Kristen BREITWEISER

Dear President Trump,

This week you are scheduled to meet with Saudi Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed
Bin Salman. As a 9/11 widow who has fought for more than 15 years for
truth, justice, accountability and transparency with regard to the
murder of my husband, Ron, I have a considerable interest in
your upcoming meeting with the Deputy Crown Prince.

GARY WEGLARZ: The key institutions of Western societies have lost
their credibility. They fail to merit either the respect or loyalty of
the domestic populations they purport to serve.

Testing the
validity of this assertion requires examination of Western institutions
from a holistic rather than fragmentary perspective. This is easier said
than done.

There exists a massive amount of near real-time web based information available for us to process daily if we are attempting
to keep abreast of world events. This often leaves us diligently
evaluating recent events, while lacking the opportunity to step back and
assemble these discrete events into a more comprehensible whole.

miércoles, 29 de marzo de 2017

Afghanistan has long been called the "graveyard of empires," the site of
failed invasions. But the U.S. – in its 15-plus-year endeavor – seems
determined to dig its own grave there, as ex-CIA analyst Paul R. Pillar
describes.

After two years of a brutal conflict in Yemen, United Nations OCHA says nearly 19 million Yemenis are in need of humanitarian aid. Children continue to pay the highest price, according to UNICEF the United Nations Children's Fund. http://bit.ly/2nslMO5

Children are paying the heaviest price as conflict in Yemen enters third year. Photo: UNICEF

“Spain has an idea about its unity like a religion. It's like an idea of
God,” said Puigdemont, claiming that Madrid is in denial about the
level of support for Catalan independence. “They don't want to talk
about it, but it exists.”

Puigdemont met with US congressmen to discuss Catalonia’s independence

CNA

Washington DC (CNA).- The current political situation in
Catalonia raises interest among US congressmen. This is what Catalan
President, Carles Puigdemont, observed this Tuesday during his official
trip to the US. Although the names of the congressmen were not made
public beforehand to prevent possible obstructions from the Spanish
diplomacy, Puigdemont met with two Republican and one Democrat to
discuss Catalonia’s pro-independence aspirations. He
denied having asked for their support in the event of Catalonia’s
independence but he assured that the information he gave them will allow
them to “take a stance” in the conflict between Catalonia and Spain.
Puigdemont, who refused to give further details on the content of the
conversations, admitted being “satisfied” with having the chance to
“explain himself” and “answer the congressmen’s questions and doubts.

Conference at Harvard

On Monday, Puigdemont addressed the Center for European Studies (CES)
at the Harvard Kennedy School and give the conference ‘Catalonia, Today
and Tomorrow’, his analysis of Catalonia’s current political situation
and its place within the EU. “Our struggle is a reflection of the fight
for American civil rights.” he said during the conference “Catalonia,
Today, Tomorrow, comparing Catalonia's pro-independence process to the
US civil rights movement in his”. However, in contrast with American
institutions which “have respected democracy and the will of its people
to adapt over time”.

Puigdemont lamented Spain's refusal to open a dialogue and agree on a
referendum so that Catalans can decide their political future. “We are
convinced that this is the best option,” he said but pointed out that
“up to now it has been impossible, due the Spanish Government’s
absolutely steadfast refusal to discuss it”. However, he warned,
“Catalonia will hold the referendum in any case.”

The visit continues in New York

This Wednesday, Puigdemont is expected to sign a collaboration
agreement on urban development between Incasòl, the Catalan Government's
subsidiary that manages public land throughout Catalonia, and the
Wilson Center, one of the most influential think tanks in the world.

He will finish his official trip in New York, where he is will explore future collaboration with the Jewish Museum.

Later, he will visit FC Barcelona’s new office in the city and will
finish his trip by visiting Europastry’s new plant in New Brunswick. The
Catalan family-owned business, founded in 1987, is Spain’s leader in
the frozen dough sector and the fifth most important in the world, with
3200 employees in its existing Long Island plant in addition to the 250
it has added in New Brunswick.

More on

Catalan President,
Carles Puigdemont, together with Catalan Minister for Foreign Affairs,
Raül Romeva and and the Delegate of the Catalan Government to the United
States, Andrew Davis, at the US Congress in Washington DC (by ACN)

@richards1052

|

When Israel conquered the Golan in 1967, it launched a 50-year
occupation of the Syrian Golan in which tens of thousands of Syrian
Druze lived. Though an armistice line now separates the Druze in Syrian
and Israeli-occupied zones, both communities are deeply intertwined.
The sense of solidarity now, in the midst of a raging civil war, is no
different than Diaspora Jews felt in 1967 before the war broke out.
Millions rallied around the world concerned about Israel’s fate. Now
the Druze in Israeli-held Golan are fearful for the fates of their
brothers and sisters.

Israel claims, falsely, that it is neutral in the Syrian civil war.
Unfortunately, the world media are taken in by this charade. Israel
intervenes regularly on behalf of the Syrian Islamist rebels. The UN
observed the IDF unloading supplies in boxes at the armistice fence,
which were then picked up by Islamist fighters. Al Monitor even
reported that the IDF shells government positions inside Syria. The
Israelis meet regularly with al-Nusra commanders (who are affiliated
with al-Qaeda) to offer intelligence. A Syrian Druze videotaped one
such meeting, which was aired on Syrian TV. He was promptly secretly
arrested by the Shabak. The Israeli media was forbidden from reporting
his name, Sedki al-Maket, thanks to a security gag order (I was the only
journalist outside Syria who reported his name and story).

Israeli TV reported
that Israel has built a camp for Syrian army deserters in Israeli
occupied Golan. Israel has also bombed Hezbollah and Iranian convoys
inside Syria carrying advanced weaponry meant for the Lebanese front. It
has assassinated several senior Iranian generals and Hezbollah
commanders on Syrian soil as well. It opposes Assad not so much for
political or ideological reasons, but because the regime’s chief allies
are Israel’s arch-nemeses, Iran and Hezbollah.

Israeli soldiers walks near the border with Syria near the site of a
Sunday Israeli airstrike, in the Israeli controlled Golan Heights,
Monday, April 27, 2015

Speaking from Ecuador’s embassy in London, Julian Assange revealed
that the United States planned to overthrow the Syrian government as far
back as 2006, several years before the start of the current crisis.

The founder of WikiLeaks took refuge in the Embassy of Ecuador in 2012. The premises remain under siege 24 hours a day by a large team of police to prevent Assange from ever stepping foot outside, at a cost to taxpayers that now exceeds £12 million.

Published time: 9 Sep, 2015 17:41

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has opened up about his new book, 'The WikiLeaks Files,' speaking about the 'US empire' and telling RT's 'Going Underground' program that Washington had plans to overthrow Syria's government long before the 2011 uprising began.

Speaking to 'Going Underground' host Afshin Rattansi, Assange referred to the chapter on Syria, which goes back to 2006. In that chapter is a cable from US Ambassador William Roebuck, who was stationed in Damascus, which apparently discusses a plan for the overthrow of the Assad government in Syria.

Israel has revealed a new plan to help rebuild war-torn Syria - with
the ultimate goal of securing massive stores of natural resources. The
plan would rely on significant investment from the U.S., a financial burden that will likely fall hardest on the shoulders of the American public.

Druse participate in a rally, demanding the return of the Golan Heights,
taken by Israel in 1967, close to the Syrian border in Buqata in the
Golan Heights, Sunday, Feb. 14, 2016. The annual demonstration is in
protest of the 1981 Israeli law in which the Jewish state annexed the
strategic plateau it captured from Syria during 1967 Arab-Israeli war.
(AP/Oded Balilty)

Last week the US air-dropped Kurdish fighters, accompanied by US
Marines, near Raqqa in Syria. Under the guise of fighting ISIS in Raqqa,
the US military has blocked access of
the Syrian military from Raqqa. While the blocking move might have been
coincidental, there’s a strong possibility that Washington is in the
opening phase of a broader strategy to splinter the war-torn country and
prevent the reemergence of a united secular Syria. Next step:
partition. What can we do? Read at the link...

The Russians interfered in our elections, said former Vice President
Dick Cheney, and it's an act of war! But what is it when the US
interferes in other countries' elections? He didn't say. Cheney's neocon brigades on the rise -- we discuss in today's Liberty Report:

Summary. This article reports updated findings I
obtained in a further examination of videos published by the White
Helmets, and which aimed to represent consequences of an alleged gas
attack in Sarmine in March 2015 [See my first report of March 6, 2017]. [1] The videos depict a medical rescuing scenario focused on ‘lifesaving’ procedures on children.

The new findings, which have also
been confirmed in second-opinions issued by MD specialists and members
of Swedish Doctors for Human Rights (SWEDHR) on March 12, 2017, a)
demonstrate that the main highlighted ‘life-saving‘ procedure on the
infant shown in the second video of the sequence was faked. Namely, no
substance (e.g. adrenaline) was injected into the child while the
‘medic’ or doctor introduced the syringe-needle in a simulated
intracardiac-injection manoeuvre [See video below with the findings’
synopsis]; b) may bring support to the hypothesis mentioned by doctors
in the previous report, referring that the child in question, “if not
already dead, might have died because the injection procedure”.

Food security and nutrition levels in the Near East and North Africa
have sharply deteriorated over the last five years, undermining the
steady improvement achieved before 2010 when the prevalence of undernourishment, stunting, anaemia and poverty were decreasing, a new UN report warns.http://www.ipsnews.net/…/food-security-in-the-middle-east-…/